Drive for Detroit: Playoff Week 1 Preview
October 31, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Whether your team's preferred final destination is Ford Field in Detroit or the Superior Dome in Marquette, the first steps will be taken this weekend during 144 MHSAA Playoff games across both peninsulas.
Someone's season is on the line in every game from here on out, and below we take a glance at a matchup in each division that is especially notable during these first rounds of the 11 and 8-player tournaments.
Don't let a little cool weather keep you out of the stands and supporting your favorite team at this most exciting time of year. But if you choose to stay in, take in one or more of the 30 games being broadcast on FOX Sports Detroit Prep Zone or MHSAA.tv. Click for listings and check back with MHSAA.com all weekend for scores and updated brackets.
"Drive for Detroit" is sponsored by MI Student Aid.
11-Player
Division 1
Saline (8-1) at Belleville (9-0), Saturday
This is the most power-packed opener in any division, with both teams making Division 1 Semifinals a year ago. Both have faced four playoff teams this fall, and the only loss between them was Saline’s Week 1 defeat against reigning champion Clinton Township Chippewa Valley. The Hornets are familiar with this time of year with six District titles over the last seven seasons and a Division 1 runner-up finish in 2014. But Belleville has seemed on the verge of a Ford Field run with now three straight perfect regular seasons and, like Saline, all but one of its wins this fall by double digits.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Brighton (7-2) at Holt (7-2), Davison (7-2) at Romeo (7-2), Rochester Adams (7-2) at Utica Eisenhower (7-2), Detroit Cass Tech (5-4) at Grosse Pointe South (7-2).
Division 2
Muskegon Mona Shores (7-2) at Midland (8-1)
This is a rematch of a 2018 Division 2 Semifinal won by the Sailors 49-28. Both of these teams were stung late this fall but should be dangerous again with fresh starts that come with the playoffs. Mona Shores, which went on last season to finish D2 runner-up, has losses to two league champions including big to rival Muskegon High two weeks ago in a matchup that determined the Ottawa-Kent Conference Black title. Midland was defeated by a similar score last week by rival Midland Dow as the two shared the Saginaw Valley League Red title. The winner of this District opener could see Dow next week – the Chargers take on Big North Conference champion Traverse City Central on the other side of the District bracket.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY South Lyon (8-1) at Fenton (8-1), Farmington (7-1) at Oak Park (8-1), Port Huron (6-3) at Port Huron Northern (8-1). SATURDAY Detroit U-D Jesuit (6-3) at North Farmington (9-0).
Division 3
DeWitt (7-2) at East Lansing (7-2)
This is one of the most highly-anticipated rematches of the first week, with these two and Holt having shared the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue title, and with the Panthers and Trojans finishing with the same playoff point average – East Lansing got the home game because of its 21-2 win over DeWitt in Week 5. Minus that performance, the Panthers averaged 39.6 points per game this fall – so expecting another all-out shutdown by the Trojans’ defense might be an unfair ask. But DeWitt’s defense also will have to deliver, as East Lansing’s offense (32.7 ppg) is scoring at its highest pace in decades.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Lowell (5-4) at East Grand Rapids (6-3), Zeeland East (5-4) at Zeeland West (8-1), St. Joseph (6-3) at Edwardsburg (9-0), Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (6-3) at Flint Kearsley (7-2).
Division 4
Sparta (8-1) at Muskegon Orchard View (9-0)
Both of these teams have enjoyed banner seasons. Orchard View posted its first winning record since 2014, earned its first playoff berth since 2008, won the Lakes 8 Conference title and finished the regular season perfect for the first time since 2005. Sparta made the playoffs for the first time since 2013, tying its most wins since 2011 with its best regular-season record since 2006. The Spartans finished second in the O-K Blue to Grand Rapids Catholic Central, which faces Allendale on the other side of this District bracket. Orchard View did beat five playoff teams on the way to the playoffs. But comparing their lone shared opponent, Sparta downed playoff qualifier Spring Lake 38-3 in Week 3 after Orchard View defeated the Lakers 22-17 on opening night.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Fowlerville (6-3) at Goodrich (7-2), North Branch (7-2) at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (8-1), Ortonville Brandon (7-2) at St. Clair (8-1).
Division 5
Almont (9-0) at Richmond (8-1)
This is a rare occurrence; Almont defeated Richmond in Week 7 28-10 and went on to win the Blue Water Area Conference title outright while closing out its second-straight perfect regular season. However, the Blue Devils’ nonleague opponents both made the playoffs, and the bonus for playing those teams was enough to push Richmond past Almont into a home game this week. The Raiders, however, also won the first Richmond game this fall on the road, and their annually-awesome defense continues to play anywhere. Almont has given up 69 points this fall – 39 over five home games and 30 over four away. But take away the first Almont matchup, and Richmond is averaging a robust 33.5 points per game.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Central Montcalm (7-2) at Portland (7-2), Olivet (8-1) at Lansing Catholic (8-1), Reed City (6-3) at Kingsley (9-0), Kalamazoo United (5-4) at Berrien Springs (8-0).
Division 6
Menominee (6-3) at Ishpeming Westwood (7-2), Saturday
Menominee is the smallest of Great Northern Conference schools and will play in Division 6 this playoffs after years in Division 4 and then Division 5. That has the Maroons matching up with many of the best from the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference, including Westwood for the first time. The Patriots finished third in the Iron, the strongest of the two West PAC divisions this fall – and they also beat Copper champion Ishpeming 38-0 in Week 4. But Menominee presents an all-new challenge, and the Maroons are on a roll after putting up 48 points last week in handing Division 5 contender Hopkins its only loss this fall.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Lake City (6-3) at Maple City Glen Lake (8-1), Ravenna (7-2) at Muskegon Catholic Central (6-2), Jonesville (6-3) at Hillsdale (9-0), Constantine (7-2) at Niles Brandywine (9-0).
Division 7
Detroit Loyola (4-4) at Detroit Central (8-1)
While Cass Tech and Martin Luther King always get the bulk of attention out of the Detroit Public School League, Central has earned recognition too winning the PSL Division 3 title and 3/4 championship game. There are seven unbeaten teams in the Division 7 bracket, and they’re getting the most attention. But the Trail Blazers have won eight straight games (including a forfeit) since falling to Dearborn Heights Crestwood in Week 1. Loyola is a deceptive 4-4, considering the high level of competition it faces. A Central win in this one would further announce the Blazers will be tough to beat.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Harbor Springs (6-3) at Charlevoix (6-3), Byron (6-3) at Beaverton (9-0), Centreville (6-3) at Lawton (9-0). SATURDAY Houghton Lake (6-3) at Traverse City St. Francis (6-3).
Division 8
Addison (7-2) at Sand Creek (7-2)
Both of these teams have faced and will be ready for top competition. Cascades Conference champion Addison is hitting the road to start the playoffs, seeking its first postseason win since 2007 and after closing the regular season against reigning Division 8 champion Reading. Sand Creek tied for second in the Tri-County Conference, but behind undefeated Division 7 contender Clinton and with the same TCC record as annual Division 8 challenger Ottawa Lake Whiteford. The Aggies also finished just ahead of Britton Deerfield thanks to a 50-22 Week 5 win – four weeks after B-D defeated Addison 28-16 to open the season.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Flint Beecher (5-3) at Clarkston Everest Collegiate (8-0), Mendon (7-2) at Reading (8-1), White Pigeon (7-2) at Cassopolis (9-0). SATURDAY Ottawa Lake Whiteford (5-4) at Royal Oak Shrine Catholic (7-2).
8-Player
Division 1
Gaylord St. Mary (4-5) at Pellston (8-1)
Pellston is one of three teams statewide making its playoff debut this weekend, boasting its first winning regular-season record since 1995. The Hornets’ only loss was the eventual Midwest Central Michigan Conference East champion Hillman, and they are riding an offense scoring just more than 46 points per game. St. Mary’s story has been well-publicized; the Snowbirds had to forfeit four wins earlier this fall but won their final two games to still make the playoffs. On the field they’ve averaged nearly 58 points per game, making this a likely offensive showdown regardless of the possible wintery weather.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Mesick (7-2) at Kingston (7-2), Bellevue (6-3) at Martin (9-0), New Haven Merritt (8-1) at Morrice (8-1).
Division 2
Crystal Falls Forest Park (7-2) at Powers North Central (9-0)
One of the best Upper Peninsula rivalries of the last half-decade will play out again after the teams previously met in Week 6 – a 34-8 Jets win that helped lock up the Great Lakes Conference West title. These two have met in the playoffs as well the last three years – and combined for three straight MHSAA Finals championship from 2015-17 – and last year the Trojans avenged a 24-point regular-season loss with a 12-point win over the Jets in Pre-Regional play. The first meeting this fall, North Central contained an offense that otherwise has averaged 51.8 points per game. Not counting a forfeit win last week, the Jets had three shutouts and gave up only six points per game during this regular season.
Keep an eye on these FRIDAY Engadine (8-1) at Pickford (8-1), Brethren (5-4) at Climax-Scotts (7-2), Kinde North Huron (6-3) at Peck (5-4).
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PHOTO: North Central clears a pylon for a score during a 54-0 win over Newberry on Oct. 11. (Photo by Jeff Rochefort.)
Dock Putting Dad's Coaching Lessons to Work as Middleville TK Continues Climb
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
November 3, 2025
MIDDLEVILLE – Denny Dock can't pinpoint the exact moment he thought his football-loving son would follow him into coaching, but the signs were there all along.
For starters, there were the countless hours spent tossing a football around the backyard. Or when his young son, Jeff – not even old enough for middle school at the time – eagerly joined other Stevensville Lakeshore coaches watching film on weekends.
Maybe it was all those Friday nights spent trekking along the sideline as a ball boy for Lancers teams. Another clue might have been the Saturday afternoons the two spent together watching college football, or taking in the NFL on Sundays.
When Jeff got older, it may have been how he readily absorbed tips that helped him become a better quarterback in high school and then at Grand Valley State. It could have even been an early, uncanny ability to grasp the importance of fundamentals.
Put it all together, and it seemed inevitable coaching football loomed in Jeff Dock's future.
"That's very fair to say," said Denny Dock, who is 19th on the state's list of all-time winningest football coaches while also the winningest high school softball coach in the country. "The younger years in football were really positive for Jeff, and that doesn't happen all the time. There are negative things that can happen."
While there might have been multiple signs the younger Dock would one day join the coaching ranks, he admits it was far from a done deal. There were thoughts of becoming a biology teacher, a pastor or maybe even an orthopedic surgeon.
But coaching? Even with his father as a classic example of the positive impact a good coach could spread, Dock said it took years for him to eventually land in coaching.
"It dawned on me that there were a lot of all three of those things in being a coach," he said. "Growing up in sports is what I knew, and I ended up developing a passion for it."
That passion is actually the highest it's been in years as his Middleville Thornapple Kellogg football team this past weekend improved to 7-3, continuing the program's first winning season since 2020 and the best fall since the Trojans went 7-3 in 2018. The Trojans defeated Hastings 28-20 in a Division 2 playoff opener, and a win this Friday at Lowell would give Middleville its first District championship since 2001.
Denny Dock coached football at Hartford from 1981-83, Dowagiac from 1984-87, and then Lakeshore from 1988-2013, returning to lead the Lancers for one more season in 2020 and all together totaling a 270-79 career record, 15 league titles and five runner-up MHSAA Finals finishes.
He has kept his hand in football in aiding his son's Trojans program. He's at all the games to add support, critique, advice, strategy, tips on how practices can best be organized and long talks discussing how continual improvement can be furthered.
It's a two-way street as an old football coach who never had a losing season, and is a member of the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, can remain invested in the game while his son benefits from three decades worth of experience.
Jeff Dock said his father's real value is his ability to spot from the stands the little things that less experienced coaches may miss.
"Play calling, how players are used, maybe a little bit about strategy," Dock said.
After playing for his father, Dock said there's no doubt he's transferred the best of what he learned into his own coaching. The older Dock was not only a highly successful football coach, he's compiled a 1,319-345-2 record in softball with eight Finals titles.
Whether it's about football or the philosophy Dock stresses in his softball program, the advice accepted from his father – who still attends softball clinics for tips on improving the Lakeshore program – is virtually across the board. It begins, however, with how a coach should treat his players.
"I was a manager growing up, and I saw his intensity and a love of his players," Dock said. "He never pushed me in any direction, but he told me about education. He always let me figure it out. One of the coolest things my parents did in raising me was to allow me to figure things out."
As far as the Xs and Os of coaching, Dock said his father prizes an organized practice. In fact, it could even be argued that both Docks enjoy a spirited and productive practice session over the microscope of Friday Night Lights.
"He never had a losing season, and it was ingrained in us just to go back to work and that that work never stops," he said. "He loves practices and being organized. Rule No. 1 with him was to make sure the players are prepared, and that you have to communicate with them. Dad would never belittle us or cuss us out.
"I saw the work he put in, how he'd wake up every Saturday thinking about the game. I saw the nitty gritty of coaching and how it was going to take work."
It was that seemingly endless work, in fact, that Denny Dock made sure his young son understood. Denny had no illusions over the pitfalls of coaching, and the pros and the cons. But before he could teach that to his son the coach, he made sure his son the quarterback understood how athletics worked.
There were challenges as a player and now for his son as a coach.
"He was always a quarterback because I think he liked the ball in his hands," Denny Dock said. "I think he liked the leadership part of the game, understanding the team part, and knowing what he had to do. That always challenged him."
While the challenge of playing is long gone for the younger Dock, the next challenge is building a program which is annually competitive. To do that, Jeff Dock said he accepts what his father knew 30 years ago.
"I'm willing to learn anything from anyone at any time," he said. "I know my dad has always thought about what he can do to become a little better every year. I'm always looking for ways to communicate and do things better. It can always be done better, but how can you get there? How can we do the little things better. That's what I learned."
PHOTOS (Top) Jeff Dock, left, and son Micah – Middleville Thornapple Kellogg’s quarterback this season – stand for a photo at their home field. (Middle) Denny Dock, far left, coaches a base runner during Stevensville Lakeshore’s 2022 Semifinal win. (Top photo by Steve Vedder.)